The musings, thoughts, frustrations and funnies from a first grade teacher in Southern California!

6.03.2011

I hope I made the right choice

Wow! Today has been quite a day, and it isn't even noon in my part of the country! I have had a busy and eventful day and I am now hoping I have made the right choice for my daughter! I am hoping to hear from people who have experience in this to know if I am doing something right or if I am just plain crazy. It could be both!

We had Kinder orientation today at the school she is supposed to go to. It was an hour of this is what your child needs to be able to do in Kinder and how you can help them at home in the summer. No problem, I can do that and have been doing that for the last couple years now anyway! The mix of students was about half and half - half EO's and half EL's. It's about what I had expected from the school, so it was no big shock.

The big shock came when my hubby told me that charter school he'd like her to go to called and said they had a spot for her. I had already written the school off and was content sending her to the school she was supposed to go to. But then, I didn't get the warm fuzzy feeling from the school today and had almost convinced myself I needed to quit my job and homeschool my daughter forever. Practical? No, but it's my daughter.

I drove to the charter school to see if someone was there, and lo and behold they were. I talked with them (they were a little perturbed that we didn't return their call and they said they called like 3 days ago) but they put her down as coming for the next school year. In my heart of hearts, I don't know if I made the right choice, but I am hoping it was. My hubby was all flustered and crabby earlier, so he told me to just make a choice. What I really wanted to do was just sit and cry and have someone give me the answers, but I know it doesn't work that way.

I wonder if the students we teach, if the parents ever worry and wonder if they are making the right choice. I know my parents never thought twice about sending us to public school - we just went where we were told to go. I think my education was OK, but nothing fabulous. Elementary was pretty good, but middle and high school - I think the teachers were so-so. Some were great, but some just plain sucked.

I look at my daughter, my one and only child and I want the very best for her. I wish I had a crystal ball, or a magic-8 ball at that, to make sure I was doing the best thing for her. Part of it is the feeling that nothing is good enough for her and that I need to protect her and make sure she has the best. I know if we don't like the charter school, we can always move her to her home school and hope for the best. I feel a tiny bit better about the charter school than her home school, which surprises me, since I feel like charter schools go against what I believe as a teacher. They shouldn't but they do.

Anyone else have any dealings with charter schools? PLEASE let me know what you think! I feel like I am in a fog now and can't think straight anymore! Time to veg on the couch for a bit and do some thinking!

6 comments:

My two little girls go to a charter school. I wouldn't change it for the world. Middle Child has always had social issues and I knew putting her in a school with 175-200 kids in her grade level (at elementary) was probably not going to work. So I put her in the charter which is capped at 75 per grade and now The Youngest is there too.

I have never regretted that decision (they are in 2nd and 3rd right now). It was the best choice for us and they are happy there. Sometimes I am really jealous of the parental involvement they have there over where I teach but with few exceptions the teachers there are fabulous and I feel like they really care about my girls.

I feel a little better about my decision, but I am not a fan of the unknown. I like it cut and dry, black and white. But, I talked with my daughter's speech teacher and she feels this is the best place for her with her emotional issues (very shy and timid, won't talk in new situations, etc.). I figure I can always change her if we don't like it. Thanks for your comment! If this works, it will be the 5th time I tried to comment. grrrrr!

Like you, I'm all for public school, but I think if a child has some special needs that can be better accommodated at another school, then you need to do what is best for the child.That being said, I actually applied for a job at a Catholic school today in CA (I'm not Catholic). Anyways I doubt I'll get it since the deadline was today and I rushed to get my info in, but my husband plans on speaking with the principal in CA (San Luis Obispo area) early next week. I hate the waiting game!! Fingers crossed!